Colorado Mayor Launches Faith-Based Program

Colorado Springs, Colorado mayor Lionel Rivera is initiating his Mayor's Faith Based and Community Initiatives program, according to today's Colorado Springs Gazette. He will use the mayor's office to link charities in need of volunteers with churches, synagogues and mosques that can supply them. This will be done through the city's Web site and e-mails the mayor sends to a database of leaders in the religious and nonprofit communities. Citizens Project executive director Ellie Collinson questions the approach. "For the government to target specifically faith-based organizations, I think, is not the best use of taxpayer money, and I would rather see the private sector get involved in that sort of activity," Collinson said. "And certainly the mayor could endorse it as a worthwhile effort, but I don't see the need for spending city services in order to make the project happen." The mayor says he will gladly accept nonfaith-based groups into his program.